TRWSB – Chapter 40 Vanished

Tang Tianying walked in and asked, “Evil Doctor, is it done?”

Qi Shaorong wiped his hands and replied, “Just about.” He took a deep breath; that old tiger hadn’t brushed its teeth in centuries, and it really enjoyed its first cleaning. But for him, it was exhausting, and he felt like he had lost half his strength.

“My father has been worried about the little tiger for days; finally, it’s resolved.”

Qi Shaorong glanced at Tang Tianying and asked, “Aren’t you concerned that the little tiger might decline again, Fourth Prince?”

Tang Tianying smiled calmly. “With the Evil Doctor here, what do I have to worry about? By the way, Yi Xun from the Yi family came by. I told him you were busy, so he left, but he seemed pretty anxious. Evil Doctor, is Yi Huo’s illness serious?”

Qi Shaorong folded his arms and chuckled. “Serious? Not particularly. He’s just become a bloated, pockmarked ugly mess—it’ll pass if he endures it. But some people value their appearance above all else, and if they turn ugly, they’ll make a fuss as if it’s the end of the world. In that sense, it could be considered serious.”

Tang Tianying laughed. “How long until he recovers?”

“About two weeks.”

Tang Tianying raised an eyebrow. “Then it’s not that big a deal—just two weeks.”

A sly smile appeared on Qi Shaorong’s face. “Without treatment, it’s two weeks. But Yi Xun is a powerful figure, and many would love to curry favor with him, especially the healers. If a light-magic mage overextends their powers, it could end up taking two months instead.”

Zhuang Hao raised an eyebrow at Qi Shaorong’s words. His third uncle’s condition had worsened precisely because the family’s light-magic mages had tried too hard, making things progressively worse.

Tang Tianying grinned. “Two months? That would take us right to the beginning of the school term. Yi Huo would be humiliated.”

Qi Shaorong shrugged. “Perhaps. There are plenty of people who enjoy a spectacle, and if Yi Huo is embarrassed, a lot of people would be pleased.”

Tang Tianying turned to Zhuang Hao and said, “Zhuang Hao, it seems that your former fiancée will also be attending Tianlan Academy. Did you know?”

“Not really,” Zhuang Hao said, glancing at the Evil Doctor.

“I wonder how much the Qi family spent to get Qi Shaorong into the academy. They say he’s quite handsome,” Tang Tianying remarked.

“If you want to know whether Shaorong is handsome, just ask me. We’re close friends; we often share the same bed. Shaorong is indeed a rare beauty.”

Tang Tianying looked at Qi Shaorong, blinking. “Evil Doctor, you must be joking.”

Qi Shaorong frowned. “Joking? I never joke. Shaorong truly is a breathtaking beauty.”

Tang Tianying: “…”

He wasn’t doubting that Qi Shaorong was a beauty. He just felt that the Evil Doctor and Qi Shaorong shouldn’t be sharing the same bed. Although Zhuang Hao had called off the engagement, had Qi Shaorong perhaps cuckolded him beforehand? And now, Zhuang Hao was on good terms with someone who had supposedly betrayed him. The world just made less and less sense to him.

Tang Tianying rubbed his nose, feeling a growing curiosity about Qi Shaorong. “Evil Doctor, is Qi Shaorong more handsome than Zhuang Hao?”

“Of course. Shaorong is far more handsome than Young Master Zhuang. Don’t you agree, Zhuang Hao?” Qi Shaorong asked, turning to Zhuang Hao.

Zhuang Hao replied, “The Evil Doctor speaks the truth.”

Qi Shaorong smiled at Tang Tianying. “See, even Zhuang Hao is in awe.”

Tang Tianying: “…”

Qi Shaorong stayed in the palace for several days, but he left quietly under the cover of night.

After evading those who tried to follow them, Qi Shaorong and Qi Heng went their separate ways. Qi Shaorong returned to his quarters as the fourth young master of the Qi family, while Qi Heng went to Luohua Pavilion, owned by Biliu Yunkai.

…

Meanwhile, in the Yi family:

Yi Huo’s condition continued to worsen. Yi Chuxue’s anger gradually turned to fear, noticing that her father’s attitude toward her had subtly changed. Though he hadn’t said anything directly, he seemed to blame her for causing trouble. Yi Chuxue knew that while her father loved her, it was nothing compared to how much he valued her elder brother.

Yi Xun had been monitoring the Evil Doctor’s movements, and as soon as the doctor left the palace, he was thrilled and sent people to capture him. However, the doctor was nowhere to be found.

“What’s going on? How can you not find a single person?” Yi Xun asked in frustration.

“The Evil Doctor is slippery, Master. As soon as he left the palace, he disappeared without a trace.”

Yi Xun fumed. “Ridiculous.” He had invited every renowned doctor he could find, yet none had been able to help. Yi Huo’s condition was worsening by the day.

“Master, Zhuang Hao from the Zhuang family is very close to the Evil Doctor. If we reach out to Young Master Zhuang, he might know where the doctor is.”

Yi Xun considered this and said, “That might be our only option.”

When Yi Xun approached Zhuang Hao, however, Zhuang Hao claimed he knew nothing of the Evil Doctor’s whereabouts. Recalling the Evil Doctor’s advice, Zhuang Hao told Yi Xun that if they left Yi Huo alone, he would recover without treatment. Yi Xun dismissed this as an excuse, refusing to believe him.

And with that, the Evil Doctor vanished without a trace.